Sinner pulls out of Shanghai, reportedly saw Lyon surgeon
The Italian confirmed on social media that he is not traveling to China, while Gazzetta dello Sport reports he secretly visited a knee specialist in Lyon.
At a restaurant in Lyon, a tennis fan recognized Jannik Sinner and took a photo with him. She posted the selfie on social media and, according to a Spanish tweet relayed by Sportklub, tagged the Santy Orthopedic Center clinic in the caption. The restaurant also posted a photo of the visit. Both posts were soon deleted, but Italian media had already picked them up.
The follow-up came on Saturday, October 3. Sinner himself confirmed that he is not coming to the Masters in Shanghai, which runs from October 7 to 18. In a social media post, which Sportklub relays in translation, he wrote:
“Unfortunately, I will not be playing in Shanghai, even though I was hoping to. I always enjoy competing in front of wonderful fans in China, but I will not be there next week. Thank you all for the support, and I hope to see you next year.”
The reason is an injury. According to Sportklub, Italian media write about serious knee problems that Sinner has not managed to resolve.
Who is the Lyon specialist Sinner reportedly visited?
Gazzetta dello Sport writes that Sinner secretly visited a knee surgery specialist in Lyon, Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet. The doctor has operated on several Juventus players, among them Zlatan Ibrahimovic while he played for the Turin club, and Kylian Mbappe visited him recently. The paper says the visit was discovered by accident and that traces were quickly erased, but too late.
For now, all that is known about the visit is what the media report and what the deleted posts hinted at. Sinner’s message about Shanghai does not mention the clinic.
What does the break mean for the world number one ranking?
Sinner has not played for more than two and a half months, since mid-July, when he beat Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final and defended his title. B92 recalls that he won that title a little over a month after a loss at Roland Garros, and that Zverev took only one set off him in the final.
Sportklub writes that by not playing, Sinner risks losing the world number one spot, as Zverev is closing in. According to B92, the German played a Grand Slam season with three finals and two titles.
What is next on Sinner’s schedule?
After Shanghai comes the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh, from October 21 to 24, where Sinner is the defending champion. The winner receives $6 million. Before today’s confirmation, Sportklub concluded that the Italian would play there, since he had agreed to be included in the draw. The draw is out: Novak Djokovic, as we reported earlier, goes straight to the semifinals.
Whether Sinner will travel to Riyadh at all, nobody has confirmed. If he does, the first date on the calendar is October 21, when the exhibition begins.
